Autonomous robots are increasingly becoming part of our daily lives. Autonomous lawnmowers have recently gained popularity, yet, currently available consumer versions do not possess the ability to sense obstacles from a distance. It is known that LIDAR can sense obstacles from a distance; however, it is cost prohibitive to place a LIDAR unit on a consumer lawnmower. Accordingly, there is a need to develop a cost-effective obstacle detection method for an autonomous lawnmower.